Electric-lamp socket.



PATENTED AUG. 21, 1906.

J. A. MEBANE. ELECTRIC LAMP SOCKET.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 10, 1905.

wwwemw socket.

- UNITED STATES PATENT vor non Specificatipn of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 21, 1906.

Application filed July 10, 1905. Serial No. 269.101.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES .ALEXANDER MEBANE, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at South Boston, in the county of Halifax and State ofVirginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inElectric-Lamp Sockets; and I do declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention relates to improvements in incandescent electric-lampsockets; and it consists in the novel construction, combination, andarrangement. of devices hereinafter described and claimed.

One object of the invention is to provide a simple and efficientconnection between the outer shell and cap of devices of this characterwhich will permit them to be quickly and easily connected anddisconnected and which will hold them securely together.

Another object of the invention is to improve and simplify theconstruction of the base-plug within the socket and the electric contactconnections thereon, so that the cost of manufacture will be materiallyreduced.

The above and other objects which willappear as the nature of myinvention is better understood, are accomplished by means of theconstruction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1is a side elevation of my improved lamp-socket. Fig. 2 is a transversesectional view, taken on the line 2 2 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is alongitudinal sectional view through the Fig. 4 is a perspective view ofthe base-plug removed from the casing of the socket. Fig. 5 is ahorizontal sectional view through the base-plug, and Fig. 6 is aperspective view of the inner side of one of the members of thebase-plug. Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view showing a portion of thecap and of the shell detached and in a plane intersecting one of thekeepers 4 of the shell and one of the stamped-out clearance portions 6of the cap.

Referring to the drawings by numeral, 1 denotes my im roved lamp-socket,the outer casing of whic is composed of a substantially c lindricalcasing or shell 2 and a substantia ly conical cap 3, which closes theopen upper end of the shell. My improved connection for securing the capupon the shell, so that it may be readily applied and removed,

consists in forming in the shell adjacent to its upper end keepers 4,which are preferably in the form of loops stamped out from the shellafter making parallel slits therein. One or more of said keepers may beprovided but I preferably have two whichare arranged at diametricallyopposite points. The lower open end of the cap 3 is provided withspringtongues 5, which areadapted to enter said kee ers or 100 s 4.These'tongues are preferably formed integrally with the cap 3 by cuttingportions of the same out, as clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings.The tongues 5 spring inwardly to a slight extent and the portions of thecap 'adljacent to their free ends are stamped outward y, as shown at 6,so as to receive the keepers or 100 s 4 when the cap is placed on theshell. T e cap is then partly turned upon the shell to cause the tongues5 to enter said loops. This tongue-and-loop connection preventslongitudlnal movement of the cap upon the shell,

and to prevent rotary movement between said parts, so that the tongueswill be held in the loops, I form in the shell 2 one or more detents 7,which are adapted to engage seats 8,- formed in the cap Any number ofthese detents maybe provided, but, as shown, I have arranged two midwaybetween the keepers 4 and have formed them by stamping a portion of theshell outwardly to form a slight projection. The seats 8 may besimilarly formed; but, as illustrated, they are in the form of openingsor apertures cut in the cap and adapted to receive the projections ordetents 7, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. It will beseen that this construction permits the cap and shell to be quickly andeasily secured together in a manner that will effectively prevent themfrom being casually disconnected. The lower portion of the shell 2 ispreferably of polygonal form in cross-section, so that spaces orchannels 10 will be formed between it and the base-plug 11, which isinserted in the shell through its open top. Within the shell 2 Ipreferably provide a lining 12 of suitable insulating material.

The base-plug 11, upon which the various electrical contact-plates andconnections are mounted, is formed of two half-sections 13 14, Which aresecured together by a screw. 15 and by the usual screw-she'll 16, intowhich the threaded portion of an incandescent electric lamp is adaptedto be screwed. This IIO ' and screw-threaded, as shown at 17.

shell 16 is screwed upon the lower end of the two parts of thebase-plug, which is reduced The screw 15 passesthrough alining openingsin the members or sections 13 14 and into a threaded opening in akeysupporting plate 18. The latter is of substantially U form and issecured by said screw 15 in a recess 19, formed in'the outer face of themember 13.

This plate 18 has a set-screw 20, to which one terminal of theelectrical conductor 21 may be attached, and journaled in its two armsis the stem 22 of the o crating-key. This stem extends through a s otformed in the shell 2 and has upon its outer end-an insulatedfinger-piece 23. The stem is retained in its bearings by a cross-pin 24and has its inner end enlarged, as shown at 25, to actuate a rotarycontact-block 26, which is pivotally mounted in the plate 18 concentricwith the key-stem and has formed in its outer face a recess 27 ofslightly less width than the enlargement or head 25 upon the stem, sothat said enlargement actuates the block when the stem is turned. Thecontact-block 26 is moved by the stem into and out of electrical contactwith a projecting portion 28,. formed upon the screw-shell 16, and it isadapted to be held in either its open or closed position-by a spring 29,secured upon the plate 18. The other terminal of 'the electricalconductor 21 is attached to a set-screw 30, provided upon acontact-plate 31, which is disposed in a recess 32, formed in the member14 of the base-plu The recess 32 extends from the outer ace of themember 14 through to the inner face and bottom of the same, and thecontact-plate 31 has its lower end bent to form a contact-button 33,which is seated in a recess 34, formed partly in the bottom -of themember 13 and partly in the member 14. The electric circuit through thesocket will be readily seen upon reference to the drawings. Thecontact-plate 31 is retained in the recess 32 of the member 14 by a.screw 35, which passes through an opening formed in the inner face ofthe member 14, as shown.

The construction, operation, and advantages of the invention will bereadily understood from the foregoing description, taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings. By making the baselug 11 in two sections13 14, as shown, an mounting the contact-plates 18 and 31, as described,it will be seen that the parts may be manufactured at a much reducedcost and may be quickly assembled.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of theinvention, it will be understood that I do not wish to be limited to theprecise construction herein set forth, since various changes in theform, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resortedto without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of theadvantages of this invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. An electric-lamp socket-cap having a laterally-extending tongue andan outstanding clearance portion 6 near the free end of the tongue, incombination with a shell having a keeper to enter the clearance portion6 when the cap is placed on the shell and to receive the tongue when thecap is partly turned on the shell, substantially as de-' scribed.

2. An electric-lamp socket-cap having a laterally-extending tongue andan outstanding clearance portion 6 near the free end of the tongue, incombination with a shell having a keeper to enter the clearance portion6 when the cap is placedon the shell and to receive the tongue when thecap is partly turned on the tongue, said cap and shell being furtherprovided with coacting devices to prevent casual angular motion of oneon" the other, after the tongue and cap have become engaged.

3. In a fastening, the combination of two members, one havingfakeeper-loop and the other a tongue to enter said. loop and preventlongitudinal movement of said members upon each other, and one having adetent pro'ection and the other a seat to receive sai projection toprevent rotary movement of said members upon each other.

4. In a fastening, the combination of two members, one being formed withan integral,

longitudinally-extending, loop and the other with a tongue to enter saidloop to prevent lon itudinal movement of the members upon eac other, andone of said members having a detent projection stamped upwardlytherefrom and adapted to enter a seat or opening formed in the other ofsaid members to pre vent rotary movement of said members with respect toeach other.

5. An electric-lamp socket having a baseplug composed of twosemicylindrical sections, each havin reduced screw-threaded lowerportions an one of said sections hav-J ing a recess in its outer side, ascrew-shell on the threaded portion of said sections securing themtogether, and having a contact portion in said recess, and a key mountedinsaid re cess and having a contact-block to enga e and disen age saidcontact portion of t e screw-shel substantially as described.

6. An electric-lamp socket comprising a base-plug divided longitudinallyinto two substantially semicylindrical members having their lowerreduced ends screw-threaded, one of said members bein formed witharecess in its outer face and t e other with a recess in its outer andinner faces, a screw-shell upon the threaded ends of said members, aterminal contact-plate secured in the recess of one of said members andhaving a contacting said block in an adjusted position; subbuttondisposed in the threaded end of said stantially as described, members, asubstantially U-shaped plate In testimony whereof I have hereunto'setthe recess of the other of said members, a my hand in presence of twosubscribing wit- 5 screw extending through said members and nesses.

into said; U-shaped plate a rotary stem v mounted in said U-shapedp1ate, a contact- JAMES ALEXANDER M block adapted to be actuated bysaidstem Witnesses:

. and to be moved-into and out of contact H. J. WATKINS,

10 with said screw-shell, and a spring for hold- I JNo. C. LAwsoN.

